It seems that many of the theories regarding time travel and lost have to do with the losties attempting to change the past. However, it does not appear that any of them have any definite knowledge of their involvement in any of the past events.
For example, we did not know that Ben had been shot and taken to the Temple. We do not know if the future would change if Ben had or had not been shot. Same with Daniel being shot by his mother. Would stopping that shooting make a difference even if Daniel had known about it?
So the losties even though they are in the 1970's are in their "present." They have no knowledge of how they are supposed to act or react. In fact, they are exercising free will as events take place. Until they observe an event and react to it anything is possible. They are not just acting out a play on stage or reading lines in a previously acted "past."
This is consistent with quantum theory. Schroedinger's cat is a famous thought experiment. A cat is in a locked box with radioactive material connected to a flask of acid. When even one atom undergoes decay the acid is released killing the cat. Until the box is opened and the cat is observed there is no way to know what happened and in effect the cat is simultaneously in multiple states; alive, dead and dying. The act of opening the box and observing the cat resolves the indeterminate state of the cat. This is called quantum superposition. Anything is possible until observation occurs.
In the case of lost the losties have free will to react to circumstances. Anything is possible until events occur and are observed in their present. It is not a question of changing the past because they have no idea what their involvement was in the "past." Just as Schroedinger's cat may be dead when the box is opened there is no way to tell when the cat died. Also, if the experiment is performed in exactly the same way a second time there is no way to predict the outcome until the box is opened the cat observed.
The losties are making their own history in accordance with free will and quantum mechanics!
For example, we did not know that Ben had been shot and taken to the Temple. We do not know if the future would change if Ben had or had not been shot. Same with Daniel being shot by his mother. Would stopping that shooting make a difference even if Daniel had known about it?
So the losties even though they are in the 1970's are in their "present." They have no knowledge of how they are supposed to act or react. In fact, they are exercising free will as events take place. Until they observe an event and react to it anything is possible. They are not just acting out a play on stage or reading lines in a previously acted "past."
This is consistent with quantum theory. Schroedinger's cat is a famous thought experiment. A cat is in a locked box with radioactive material connected to a flask of acid. When even one atom undergoes decay the acid is released killing the cat. Until the box is opened and the cat is observed there is no way to know what happened and in effect the cat is simultaneously in multiple states; alive, dead and dying. The act of opening the box and observing the cat resolves the indeterminate state of the cat. This is called quantum superposition. Anything is possible until observation occurs.
In the case of lost the losties have free will to react to circumstances. Anything is possible until events occur and are observed in their present. It is not a question of changing the past because they have no idea what their involvement was in the "past." Just as Schroedinger's cat may be dead when the box is opened there is no way to tell when the cat died. Also, if the experiment is performed in exactly the same way a second time there is no way to predict the outcome until the box is opened the cat observed.
The losties are making their own history in accordance with free will and quantum mechanics!
